Visakhapatnam: A local Congress leader and a former sarpanch were allegedly attacked by the Maoists, police said on Thursday. Some Maoists and militia members went to the house of local Congress leader and former zila parishad territorial constituency member Matsya Raju at Devarpalli village in the GK Veedhi mandal on Wednesday night.

They allegedly beat him up and damaged the house before looting some articles from there. The number of ultras who attacked the leader was yet to be ascertained, he said.

The Maoists also beat up former sarpanch of Mangalapalem village, Babu Rao, last night, the police official said adding that the reason for the attack was yet to be known. Maoists are said to have threatened the Congress leaders in the agency area of GK Veedhi mandal not to participate in the panchayat elections, scheduled later this month.